


A Skeleton of Something More

by Anthy_FalloutGirl (Anatheia)



Series: Airships & Castles Don't Mix [5]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Feels, Gen, Magnolia is full of sass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 07:56:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6974395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatheia/pseuds/Anthy_FalloutGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are skeletons in every closet in the Wasteland.  One of Nora's comes back to say hello.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Skeleton of Something More

_In the darkest of nights,_

The morning came, and Nora woke to the beeping of her pipboy. She laid in her bed for a moment, and mentally scolded herself. She was being stupid. They were both being stupid. It had to stop, before they couldn't stop, before they ruined everything. She took a deep breath, rolled out of her bed, and grabbed a threadbare robe she'd rescued from an ancient closet, knowing by the time that no one would be in the steam baths. She hissed a little at the cold under the balls of her feet as she quickly tiptoed down the hall, opening the heavy wooden door, and slipping inside. There was a few shafts of light coming in from the vents, and she un-banked the coals in the little stove, feeding them a few twigs to get it going. Everyone knew that Nora liked to be an early riser, and if they waited an hour, the steam room would be heated for them, and they wouldn't have to do it. In exchange, she got to have the place to herself. Once the little fire was going, it began to heat up the large stones, and she took a dipperful of sea water, and splashed it on the coals with a hiss.

_The city of lights_

A few more splashes, patient work for her, but it allowed the rest of her to wake up gradually. Finally, she stripped the terrycloth robe off, and sat down on the wooden bench. There was a metal bucket of hot water on the corner of the brick oven, and she dunked her cloth in it, before ringing the warm water out, and using it to scrub herself clean. She winced a little as she was washing her legs, and frowned at the odd bruises on her calf, just below her knee. For a moment, she couldn't think of where she'd gotten them, and then she realized that the bruises corresponded well to the approximate grip of Arthur's right hand, and she blushed brightly, hastily moving on with her morning routine. She made a mental note to make sure her bed wasn't going to break on her, then used the cloth and the bucket of warm water to give her hair a wash before she spent two days hiking across the Commonwealth in the most awkward company possible.

_Will pour unto us._

It was better, really, that she'd called the whole thing off. She was letting Arthur distract her from what was important; Grayson. She was Mother first, General second, Sentinel third, and at a distant fourth, Arthur Maxson's secret lover. She blushed again, just thinking the words. It made what they had done sound awful and tawdry, like some trash tabloid headline. All it needed was one more person to make it a love triangle; Piper could sell a copy to every person who could read in the Commonwealth. She amused herself for a moment, wondering who that could be, and then quickly shied away from a mental image of Cait terrorizing Arthur, or worse, herself getting involved with...well frankly, anybody else. Being with Arthur seemed mad...but anyone else seemed completely bugfuck crazy. Except MacCready. He wasn't even remotely her type, but he was just such a likable little shit. Nora smiled, and wondered where her two friends had wandered off to.

_Creeping inside_

She was just wringing the last of the water from her hair when she heard footsteps in the corridor. She tensed, and the feet stopped by the door. Nora snatched up her robe and was trying to yank it on when the door creaked open, and she saw a pair of curious eyes peeking in. She relaxed immediately. "Oh...Curie. I thought you were--never mind. You want to come in and try it?" she asked. Curie's face lit up, and she slipped through the door. "Oui! This is truly very clever, Nora! You should be proud of your people here!" she stated, completely relaxed as she undressed. Nora filled the metal bucket again from the large wooden cask that served as a reserve for just such a purpose. Setting it on the rocks yielded a little cloud of steam, and as she began to sweat, Curie curiously examined the whole set up. "Oh, I was not sure I would like the steam, but it is quite nice!" she declared, and Nora smiled.

_Through our sleepy eyes,_

Nora walked Curie through the whole steam bath process, then offered the newly humanoid woman a change of clothes. Curie agreed readily, and as they were walking back to her room, Nora noticed someone pacing a little in front of her bedroom door. "I...Danse?" Nora said, worried for a moment it was Arthur. She doubted Curie had Danse or Preston's discretionary instincts. Danse looked up, saw Curie, and flushed a little. "Oh. I can come back later. It's... not important." he said quickly, and before they could stop him, he disappeared back down the stairs into the basement. Curie gave Nora a curious look, but the General could only shrug, and open her door. Curie looked around her office as Nora got her own clothes on, then found some things for Curie to choose from. "Ohh, this is lovely!" the scientist declared, and picked up the rose colored dress from the pile. "That would look good, but it's not much protection in the Commonwealth...but...you could wear it once you're settled at Med-Tek." Nora suggested. "Oh, may I? How delightful!" Curie beamed, and Nora dug around in one of her many stashes of gear for a backpack that was in decent condition, so Curie could have something to carry her own 'belongings'.

_Contagiously bright_

"As a Robot, I am not accustomed to having property of my own...but as a Synth, I am quite intrigued!" Curie declared as Nora furnished her friend with a full set of wastelander's requirements from her stash of spares and extras. "You can just say 'As a Person', Curie...instead of 'as a Synth'." Nora stated. "But...I am not even really a Synth, so should not some distinction be made?" Curie asked worriedly. "No. Curie, your AI may have been implanted into a cybernetic brain implant, but there's more organic than not in you now...you can experience something that no other robot will ever get to experience...you can grow. You can experience life as a human; it won't all be pleasant...but all of it will be worth experiencing." Nora stated, then impulsively hugged her friend. "I must admit...I do like hugs." Curie agreed, returning the embrace. When Nora let her go, Curie blushed a little. "Nora, may I confide in you?" she asked hopefully. "Of course!" Curie nodded, glancing towards the door.

_Like sunlight and rain_

"I did not meet Danse before yesterday, but...he is very pleasant, is he not?" she said awkwardly. "Yes, Danse is my dear friend...he is very kind and brave. He's struggling with his new knowledge that he is a Synth, but I'm sure he'll get used to it. Especially since the only real difference between us is that I'll age, while you and Danse won't." Nora nodded. Curie nodded slowly. "He did seem troubled by that...but I believe his grief comes from the knowledge of young Grayson's predicament." she agreed. "Well, that's why we're going to Med-Tek, right? So that Grayson gets a chance to grow up." Nora smiled a little tightly. Curie reached out, and clasped Nora's hands. "I spent decades working on that cure in Vault 81...and I promise that I will spend as long as necessary to ensure Grayson has a happy future. that sweet boy deserves every moment." she said firmly. His adopted mother smiled, and hugged Curie again. "Thank you. Knowing that Grayson will have people like you and Danse and Sturges to watch over him when I am gone...It eases my mind a lot." she admitted.

_Flooding through the veins_

The Castle was coming to life; two male Brahmins were loaded down with supplies and gear. Danse was already in his power armor; Nora guessed she'd need to corner him somewhere. Maybe on watch. Nora hauled an old military duffle bag with the things she would need for her stay and Grayson's, though the boy didn't have much in the way of clothing. She was almost glad to be going to the Lab; she'd found an old sewing kit with a few precious needles still inside, and intended to cut down some salvaged things for her son. He needed more than the Institute clothing he had and the faded t-shirt and jeans someone had gotten him from the boy down at Somerville Place. Without 'being the General' to distract her, and well away from Arthur, she could finally do some of that 'mom' shit she'd heard so much about.

_Of wilted vines._

The thought of Arthur made her pause briefly, and she pushed the feelings away. He wasn't her husband. He wasn't even her boyfriend, since he insisted no one could know about them. Her people didn't care; they all knew very well that Nora Pendleton could keep her personal and professional lives as separate as the two sides of the fabled Grand Canyon. And that's was, in the end, what she was doing. Being professional, just like she told him. The cluster of Minutemen who would be joining them as 'guards' were all receiving a briefing from Preston, who would be staying at the Castle to run things with Ronnie while she was away. Nora was just surveying their little pack train, when a small pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She looked down, and Grayson's excited grin made her smile. "Ready to go?" She asked, and he nodded. "Are we gonna stay long, mom?" he asked. "For a few days at least. But Danse and my friend Curie are coming with us." she assured him, and he nodded. "Can I ride on Danse's shoulders?" he asked. "For a bit, I think that's okay. Once we get into the city, it's safer for you to be on the ground." she told him.

_But love travels like a rumor here,_

"Will people really shoot at us?" he asked, worried. "Foolish people might." a deep voice said, and Grayson looked up. "Good Morning, Elder Maxson!" he said crisply, and saluted, the way the squires did. "At ease, Mr. Pendleton." Arthur said solemnly, and Grayson relaxed a little. "Are you coming with us too, Sir?" he asked. "Yes. I'd like to see this Lab I've heard so much about...your mother was kind enough to invite me, after all." he stated, still not looking at her, his eyes on her son. She put a hand on Grayson's shoulder, and he looked up at her. Nora smiled. "Why don't you go ask Danse about that shoulder ride, hm?" she suggested, and he nodded, jogging off to where Danse spoke to Preston, his now blue helm in one hand. There was a very awkward silence the moment he was gone. "He's adjusting well to the situation. You should be proud." he said quietly. "Why? It's not my doing, remember?" she said sharply, and he sighed. "Nora...I..." he began, and she held up a hand. "Don't, Arthur. Please. I need to focus my attention on my son, and getting him to Med-Tek in one piece." He fell silent for a moment, his face in that perpetually aloof look he used to keep everyone at arm's length. "Fine. Let's all pretend everything's fine." he said calmly, and walked past her, approaching the little flock of Brotherhood of Steel Knights and Initiates that would provide his 'guard'. Nora headed quickly towards the Armory, her head bowed to hide her face from everyone.

_Losing form with every ear,_

She ducked around the corner, and took a gasping breath, before she pressed a hand over her mouth. She hadn't realized how much it would hurt, that look on his face. Arthur was apparently much better at hiding things than she was. "Is that about the boy, or the boyfriend?" a gruff voice asked, and she started, seeing Ronnie at the workbench in the armory. "I--He's not--" she managed, and Ronnie snorted. "Preston told me you shacked up with the Elder...he said you called it a 'one night stand', but it's pretty obvious something more is going on." the woman stated, going back to the laser rifle she was cleaning. Nora walked into the room, and dropped heavily onto the stool that sat on the other side of the table. "We argued. I...I called it off. And he tried to apologize, but I didn't let him, because if I do, it'll start again and it's hard enough--" she cut herself off. Ronnie didn't look up from her tools. "Well, I ain't one for love these days...but I loved somebody once, and I lost him, too. My two girls, as well." the woman admitted. "I...didn't know you lost your family." Nora said apologetically, feeling guilty that she knew so little about someone she trusted.

_A skeleton of something more._

"I...I can't remember how Nate's hands felt anymore. Or the way his aftershave smelled. Or his smile. When I close my eyes...It's him, not Nate...and that makes me feel...awful." Nora said softly. "You've been through a lot. Lost your husband. Lost your son. Lost your world. Found your son. Lost him. Got a new son. I'm not going to say you're wrong, looking for someone to bury the pain with...but you might have at least chosen Danse or Preston before that stuffed shirt." Ronnie smiled a little when she blushed. "Danse--Danse was at my door this morning, but Curie was with me. I've never seen a man run so fast before." she admitted. "Ah, yeah...she's likable, your little friend. Not surprised. Danse is still a man; and no matter what she used to be, Curie's cute and sweet, and there's precious little of that in this world." The woman sighed, leaning back and looking at her. "Let me tell you what I can see, because I'm old, and I remember what it felt like to be twenty." she stated, and Nora nodded. "That stuffed shirt is mad about you. When he talked about the Council approving of any arrangements he made with you...he wasn't talking about flour shipments and territory disputes. He was talking about making a life here, with you. And if he's talking about it that openly...that means he thinks it's possible. So why don't you think so too?"

_But waking seems an awful dream._

"Ronnie, I'm not sure you understand the bigotry that is...wildly rampant in the Brotherhood. I caught an Initiate stealing food to feed feral ghouls in the basement of the airport, because he couldn't handle the way the Brotherhood mows down Ghouls, feral or otherwise. Now...not only was my own flesh and blood responsible for the last sixty years of troubles in the Commonwealth, but...now I have a son who will never age...half my friends are Synths, and I just openly told the entire Commonwealth that not only would Synths NOT be hunted here...but that I would protect them. The very thing he came here to destroy." Nora sighed, shaking her head. "And beyond all that...Ronnie...I...I killed him. I killed Shaun. I...I killed my own son. If Arthur's in love with me... he shouldn't be. I'm as big a monster as the Institute. I walked away, and let him die...hating me." Nora's voice shook, and she lifted a hand, hastily wiping a tear off her cheek. Ronnie was facing her, but she saw that her quartermaster's eyes were not on her. They were looking behind her.

_We'll be waiting for the night,_

She started to turn, and his strong arm slipped around her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest as he caught her chin lightly with his other hand tilting her chin up. He surprised her with a soft kiss, and she heard Ronnie chuckle. "You done bein' stupid now, General?" the woman asked gruffly as he let her go, hugging her against his chest. Nora blinked a tear away, and took a shaky breath. "Maybe?" she offered, but her hands came up, gripping his arm, holding him tight as she curled her back against him. "Good. It is time to go. May I have my gun back, Major Shaw?" he asked, and she smirked, jerking a thumb to the workbench behind her. "It's an impressive piece of work, but I think I can replicate it now. You'll take care of her?" she asked gruffly as he let Nora go, fetching his gatling laser, and slinging it one handed over his shoulder. "As long as she'll let me." he replied calmly. "Then so far as I'm concerned, you're welcome at the Castle whenever you feel like dropping by, Elder." she stated. "Ronnie!" Nora protested, and Arthur raised a heavy brow at her. "I'm...going to go now. Thank you, Ronnie." she said. The woman chuckled. "Anytime, General." she said, and smiled a little. "My youngest girl...she'd be about your age now, if she'd lived." Nora smiled sadly. "I think I would have liked her." she replied, and turned, heading out the door. Arthur offered Ronnie a hand. "You have my thanks." he said quietly. "You love her?" the woman asked. "I do." he said simply, and she nodded. "Well, that's thanks enough. Now get out of my armory." Arthur smiled, and left.

_Waiting for the night_

Grayson got to ride on Danse's shoulders. Arthur had the option of taking power armor, but he chose to walk beside her and Curie, listening to Curie's endless questions, none of which were trivial or silly. Nora did her best to answer them, until without really mentioning it, Danse lifted Grayson off his shoulders, setting her son on the ground as he put his helmet on. Nora unslung her heavily customized shotgun, and waved her son over to her. "Okay...raiders and supermutants like this area of town...so I want you to stay with Curie, okay?" she said softly, crouching a little. "Yes ma'am." he nodded, and she smiled, kissing his cheek. Curie smiled, and offered her hand. He took it, and they moved to walk between the two Brahmin bulls, more hidden away. "Elder Maxson, perhaps--" one of the Knights began, and Arthur gave him a withering look. "I didn't come down here to hide with the non-combatants, Knight." he sated, and the Knight hastily backed off. Danse fell in beside her. "What's the plan, General?" he asked, deferring to her, rather than Arthur. The Elder looked mildly irritated, but said nothing. "Danse, you take the right side, A--Elder Maxson and I will take the left. We're headed for Goodneighbor, and John promised to send a patrol out to meet us when I spoke to him. So if you see guys in suits and fedoras, try not to shoot first; that's the Neighborhood Watch." she stated. "Got it." he agreed. Arthur turned to his own men, and ordered them to fan out around the Caravan, and keep their eyes open for the other patrol.

_To come and rescue us,_

Arthur followed Nora into the warren of buildings, carefully testing the stairs she walked up without hesitation. She looked back at him, and smirked a little. "I am not...however tiny you are." he whispered, and she laughed softly, waiting for him. They moved through a broken doorway, onto the second floor. From the open walls, they had a full view of the Caravan. Nora shouldered her shotgun, and pulled out a scope from her pocket, holding it to her eye as she scanned the tops of the buildings. "There. You see it?" she asked, pointing as she passed him the scope. He held it up, and took a moment to find what she was pointing at. A thread of smoke, and a bit of movement. "Raiders? Or Gunners?" he asked. "Raiders I think. Gunners aren't usually stupid enough to let a campfire give them away." she said softly as he handed the scope back. She looked around, then climbed up onto a half collapsed floor, scrambling up it. "There's no way I'm going to not pull that down with my body weight." he admitted when she reached the top. She contemplated him for a moment. "Can you go back up Danse?" she asked. "What about you?" he asked, and she smirked. "I'm kinda pro at this stuff now, Arthur. I've got a Sniper rifle stashed up ahead." she admitted. He stared at her for a moment, then smirked a little. "You have no idea how powerfully attractive I find your confidence, Sentinel Pendleton." he stated. She smirked. "Oh please, Arthur...you can call me General." she offered sweetly, and he snorted. "Go. I'll stay on this side and cover the caravan." he told her. She nodded, and disappeared from his sight.

_Feet off the ground._

About five minutes later, he heard the soft sound of a silenced rifle firing somewhere above him. There was no reaction, but a couple of minutes later, he could hear distant shouting and the sound of Danse's laser rifle. The sniper rifle sounded a couple more times, and there was silence, and then three clear blasts of laser fire into the air. Above him, Nora appeared. Then she surprised him by calmly leaping off the edge of the roof, landing on a chunk of caved in masonry a few feet down, then lightly springing down, landing on a heap of debris. She shouldered her gun, and he sighed, making her look at him curiously. He lowered his gun, holding the heavy weapon in one hand, and caught her around the waist with one hand, bending his head to kiss her firmly. She made a small surprised sound, but lifted a hand to catch the back of his neck. He sighed a little, and the kiss deepened until someone cleared their throat, the sound coming through the speakers of a Power Armor helm. "Uh." he managed, and they heard Danse chuckle. "Well, I guess that's more than a one night stand." Nora snorted, and gave Danse the finger, surprising Arthur by pulling his mouth down to hers for another lingering kiss. Danse laughed, and when she let him go, she giggled. "Oh god, he's actually blushing under that beard." she said lightly, and Arthur felt the heavy hand of Danse's power armor on his shoulder. "Well, Sir...you have impeccable taste, I'll give you that." Arthur almost sighed. "She's going to be the death of me, Danse." he complained, and his former soldier laughed. "Good luck, Elder."

_Besides, we're living in this house of cards_

It was a couple more hours of walking before the Neighborhood Watch found them. When they met up with the squad of John Hancock's security force, she gasped. "Hancock!" she laughed. "Well, hello, gorgeous." The ghoul rasped, tipping his fedora. "Are you out here in disguise?" she asked, smirking. "You may have blown the Institute to smithereens, but I've still got enemies out here...but it's good to get out and stretch my legs." he stated. "Oh! 'Allo, Monseiur Hancock! It is I, Curie!" the woman said brightly, and Hancock's black eyes widened. "Well if it ain't the bot! More a beauty, now, I see. Looks good on you, Curie." he said gruffly, and she beamed. "And this is Grayson!" she stated, and the boy waved nervously. "Is this..." Hancock began, and Nora smiled. "My adopted son...Grayson." she said. He looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Hey kid...you wanna see the coolest town in the whole Commonwealth?" he asked. "Are we going to Diamond City?" Grayson asked, surprised, and Hancock gaped. "Diamond--hell no! Goodneighbor, Kid! The city where everyone is welcome! Synths, Humans, Ghouls! Hell, I even let your mom bring that Mutie friend of hers in!" he stated, and everyone looked at Nora, confused. "Mutie?" Curie asked curiously.

_That pulls and pushes with the air._

"Hancock is referring to...Strong. He's...a Supermutant." Nora admitted. There was a silence, and then Arthur sighed. "Of course you'd make friends with a Supermutant...you're the only one who could." he shook his head, and Danse chuckled. "So where's your Supermutant pal now, General?" he asked curiously. "Well, he's...a little hard for some people to take...so I've got him bringing all the gear from Dr. Virgil's labs in the Glowing Sea right now." she admitted. "How did you tame a Supermutant?" Curie asked curiously. "Well, Rex Mason tried to 'civilize' the Supermutants by reading them Shakespeare--Don't ask, it didn't work--and Strong heard something about the 'Milk of Human Kindness', and how it's made us strong...and he thinks it's like...actually something he can find and drink." she sighed helplessly. "That's...weird." Grayson declared, and Danse laughed. "Well, you're not wrong, son." Arthur shrugged, and she flushed a little at the term. "Anyways, he's behaved himself and Brian wanted some samples so he could generalize his FEV Cure...we told him that Brian is trying to Synthesize the 'Milk' for him, so he's happy enough just to patrol the area around Med-Tek if he's not dragging stuff out of the Glowing Sea." she assured them. "A tame supermutant. This I have to see!" Curie said brightly, and the rest of them just sighed a little.

_Fearing a feather to the earth_

Hancock had 'reserved' the Rexford Hotel for the group. Grayson asked where he would be staying as people began to pair off, and without hesitation, Danse ruffled his hair. "You can stay with me, Pal. I brought that book with me." he offered. "Really? Can we read a whole chapter?" Grayson asked eagerly, and he nodded, then glanced at Curie. "Would you like to join us, Curie?" She blushed prettily, and nodded. "Oui, that would be wonderful! I have much scientific data, but I do not know much about literature." she stated. Nora gave him a confused look. "What book?" she asked. Grayson turned to his mom, grinning. "It's awesome! It's about a boy who was raised in the Jungle by these things called 'Wolves'!" Nora smiled. "Rudyard Kipling's 'Jungle Book'. It's...a wonderful story." she nodded, and looked at Danse. "Thank you for sharing it with him." she murmured, and he nodded. "Anytime. Just...take him out for a Drink...and he should probably leave that uniform behind." Nora chuckled. "I think I can convince him to take it off at any rate." she murmured, and he snorted softly. "Don't let the Knights catch you two." he scolded, and she laughed.

_Could destroy it and us,_

She convinced him to take a spare set of Danse's civvies, and abandon both coat and uniform in their hotel room. Hancock had reserved it for her alone, but it was still the only room that had a queen sized bed in it. He changed while she waited in the hall. It was for the image of propriety, but Nora worried they might not make it to the Third Rail if she was in the room. Instead, when he came into the hall in the faded black and green plaid shirt and worn jeans, she just sighed a little. "What?" he asked, unbuttoning one cuff as he rolled the sleeves up his forearms. "Nothing...I'm just going to really enjoy taking that off of you later." she murmured, and he flushed a little when she laughed at him. "Come on. Magnolia's a great singer and she's full of sass. You'll like her." Nora caught his hand, and tugged him down the hall, but when a door opened, she let go immediately, not sure who it was.

_Inside unaware!_

A pair of knights stopped in the hall, shocked as they stared at their leader. "Uh...Elder Maxson!" they managed, and belatedly saluted in their civvies. "At ease, Knights. Headed to the Third Rail?" he asked. "Yes Sir...if that's...permitted?" they asked nervously. "Well if I'm going, I don't see why you can't." he stated, and then lifted a brow, noticing both of them were openly armed. "That doesn't seem polite, Knights. We're Guests in Mayor Hancock's town." he said, and they looked pointedly at Nora. She smiled, and turned, showing them the combat knife sheathed horizontally at the small of her back, hidden by the open button down she wore over her faded green tank top. "Don't worry...Sentinel Pendleton will make sure the Elder stays safe...and as a personal friend of Mayor Hancock, I can assure you that no one who knows me is stupid enough to try anything." she assured them. The two Knights shrugged, and returned their rifles to the room, following their leaders down the stairs, and out to the Third Rail.

_All we want is something more_

Nora got drinks from Whitechapel Charlie, the Mr. Handy behind the counter. "Open bar for you, mum. Boss's orders. For your friend, too." the robot stated, and she looked surprised. "Mayor thinks Goodneighbor's a lot safer as long as he's on your side." Charlie said in a low volume, and she smiled a little. "Well, I'll remember to thank him when he appears again." she stated, and the robot tipped his bowler hat as she took the two bottles of Gwinnet Pale Ale, and returned to the small table near Magnolia's stage, just as the singer ended her current set. She turned off the microphone, and walked to the table with a smile. "Well, if it isn't the General of the Minutemen. You're coming up in the world, sweetheart." she stated, then looked at Arthur. "And who is your handsome young beau, hmm? I must say...you have excellent taste, Nora." Arthur flushed, and Nora smiled. "Magnolia, this is Elder Arthur Maxson of the Brotherhood of Steel." she stated. "The Brotherhood's Elder? Sweetie, are you lost? You know this is Goodneighbor, right?" the Singer laughed. "I'd noticed. Perhaps it hasn't reached Goodneighbor yet...but since the Brotherhood and the Minutemen are allies, we're only concerned with Feral Ghouls and Supermutants these days."

_To dream about and to adore._

"And rightly so." Magnolia said firmly, then looked at Nora. "When will we have the pleasure of hearing you sing, Nora? Hancock told me your little secret." the woman smirked, and Nora blushed. "What? Sing? You can sing?" Arthur asked, and she ducked her head a little. "I'm...not bad." she muttered. "Not bad? The Mayor insists that if you weren't so busy saving the world, he'd hire you to replace me." Magnolia said dryly. "Well, now I'm curious." Arthur said solemnly, and then grunted as she kicked him under the table. The woman laughed. "I'll let her get a couple of drinks down...maybe then she won't be so shy!" she teased, and went to get a drink of her own. Arthur opened his beer, and leaned across the table. "Can you really sing?" he asked. "Yes... I'm just...really self conscious about it." she admitted shyly. "Nora, I have seen you do insanely dangerous things I didn't think any person, human or otherwise, was capable of doing...and you are too shy to sing in front of a bunch of drunks?" he asked skeptically. She groaned. "I know it's stupid! Nate--" she cut herself off. "Sorry." she said quietly. "You can talk about him. It's not as if I thought you had forgotten him." Arthur murmured gently, and she sighed, taking a long pull.

_All we need is a little place_

"Just...I haven't done more than hum in a long time, but...we were at Somerville Place, down by the Glowing Sea. Hancock was with me...and John Somerville has two kids...Daryl and Kaitlin. Kaitlin asked if I would sing them a lullaby...I did it, but...I cried after. I haven't been able to dredge up the will to sing since." she admitted, rotating her bottle of beer with her fingertips, just to have something to look at. He didn't say anything right away, and she looked up at him. "I don't know if anyone ever sang to me when I was a child. I don't remember." He admitted quietly, and she smiled a little. "If I get the chance to meet any of this Council of yours...I'm gonna scare the fuck out of them." she advised him. He laughed, leaning a little closer as he drank his beer. "I just bet you are, Sentinel." he smirked, using her rank almost as a term of affection.

_To close our eyes, to end this chase._

Magnolia returned to her microphone, flicking it back on. With her smokey voice, and ruby lips, she smiled at her small audience. "I don't know if you local folks know...but tonight our good Mayor John Hancock...has offered to host some very prestigious guests. A lot of you know General Nora Pendleton of the Commonwealth Minutemen--" She was cut off when a few people in the bar cheered and clapped, making Nora give a blushing wave. "Tonight, she's brought one of her new allies with her...the very handsome and charming Elder Maxson of the Brotherhood of Steel." There was a couple of boos from the Ghouls in the room, but the small group of Knights that had accumulated cheered and whooped. Arthur gave his best solemn nod, a half bow out of his seat. "Now, our dear General has made some very bold claims the past few weeks...but I guess the woman who destroyed the Institute can say just about whatever she wants." Magnolia smirked, and Nora laughed.

_The living are moving,_

"So my question is this: General...Elder...what are you planning to do about Goodneighbor?" Magnolia asked, and then tipped her microphone towards the table. There was a moment of silence, and then Arthur leaned forwards. "Absolutely nothing. Unless you mean Brotherhood Vertibird support against Supermutant incursions and Raider attacks." he said calmly. Nora leaned forward as well, smirking. "Or adding Goodneighbor to our Provisioner Routes, Minutemen Patrols, and of course...Any Synths in Goodneighbor should know that they can find a home in any Minutemen Settlement. No more Recall Codes or Shadowy Infiltration. Just people; Ghouls, Humans, Synths...together." she said calmly. Magnolia smiled, and pulled the mic stand upright. "Well, there you have it folks...from their lips to your ears. Say bye bye to the past...it's a New Day in the Commonwealth."  
  
_Gracefully_

They were on their second beers when a young man, wearing road leathers, and a mishmash of metal armor pieces came to the table. "Excuse me...you're...General Pendleton? From...the radio?" he asked. "Yes, that's me. What can I do for you?" Nora offered her a smile, and a seat. He hesitated, and reached a hand into his pocket, not taking the chair. They both tensed, but all he pulled from his pocket was a crumpled and dirty piece of paper. He looked at it, flushed, then straightened it out, before sliding it across the table. "And who is sending me this?" she asked. He looked nervous. "R-raiders. At the Saugus Ironworks. I was ordered to bring it to you, or they--" he cut himself off, and swallowed. "Who did they threaten?" Nora asked gently. He lifted his head. "My sister. She's only twelve." he said quietly.

_And painfully rushing ahead,_

"Where are you living?" Nora asked, and he took a shaky breath. "Finch Farm. You cleared out those crazy Forged, but before we knew it, these new Raiders moved in. Ain't seen nothin' like 'em, Ma'am. My sister and I were out looking for wild carrots, and they grabbed us. Told me if I didn't deliver this message, and you didn't do what they want you to...They're....well, they're not gonna kill her quick." he managed. Nora unfolded the paper, eyes scanning the page. After a moment, she offered Arthur the page wordlessly. He took it, reading it over. "The lab will have to wait." he stated, and she nodded. "How soon can you get a Vertibird here?" she asked. "Fifteen minutes, tops. And I'm coming with you." he stated. "The note says--" she began to protest, and he smirked. "I am not a Minuteman, remember?" he said, and she tried not to smile. "Come along." she told the young man, and he nodded, following them as they walked to the stairs. At a flick of Arthur's wrist, the two Knights left their drinks, and followed them out.

_While unraveling the most essential thread_

They went back to the Rexford Hotel. Arthur went to get a Vertibird Beacon and his heavy armored coat, though he didn't bother putting his uniform on. Nora ran for Danse's room, opening it without a knock. Danse was sitting on the couch, cleaning his gun. On the bed, Nathan curled against Curie's side, and for a moment, her heart ached. Danse rose, slipping into the hall, and closing the door. "What's wrong?" he asked. "There's a group of Raiders at the Saugus Ironworks, just north of Finch Farm. They've kidnapped a little girl...they're using her as leverage, challenging me. But they told me not to bring any Minutemen with me." she admitted. "So Arthur wants to go?" Danse gave a quiet sigh at the impetuousness of youth. That was when Arthur appeared down the hall, his coat on, Gatling Laser in one hand, the shoulder straps of Nora's three favorite guns in his other hand. He offered them to her, and while she spoke, Danse helped her into the shoulder rig for her trusty 10mm.

_Of the fabric that covers us._

"They've given me three days to show up before they hurt the girl, but I don't want them to see us drop from the Vertibird. Saugus is close to Finch Farms; There's an Overpass that would be easy for the Vertibird to drop us on it." she stated. "And if they have snipers looking for Vertibirds?" Danse asked quietly, so as not to wake and worry the boy. "We'll drop one of the Knights; Knight McGee is an excellent Sniper, and he's already getting his gear." Arthur said firmly, and she gave a short nod. "In that case, we'll have the Vertibird drop us south of Finch Farms. It'll take us longer to get there, but we're less likely to give ourselves away." she agreed. She shouldered the strap of her rifle and took her heavily modded shotgun from Arthur's grasp, before turning to Danse. "Do you want me to wake him?" he asked.

_We'll be waiting for the night,_

"I...No. Let him sleep. You'll keep your promise, if I don't come back?" she asked him solemnly. "Always. Curie and I will look after Nathan until you come back." he stated. "What about the Caravan?" Arthur asked her. "Keep everyone here. If this goes well, we'll be back in 24 hours. If it doesn't...Get Nathan to Doctor Li, then radio Preston and tell him he's in charge." she said finally. "Okay. Go." Danse agreed, and she nodded, rising on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, Danse." she sighed, and turned, striding away. Arthur lifted a hand, and gripped his former paladin by the shoulder for a moment, before he turned, and followed his Sentinel outside.

_Waiting for the night_

They made it to Finch Farm, where the Minutemen were both dismayed and relieved to hear what had happened. They'd thought the young man and his sister had fallen victim to the wasteland's menagerie. The squad was only four strong, but they agreed to join the assault that consisted of herself, Arthur, and the other Knight that accompanied them, Knight Wilson. The Minutemen hung back, taking Sniping positions, while they advanced. They spread out around the Saugus Ironworks, and when Nora gave a sharp whistle, they all leapt out, taking down the sentries with combat knives and machetes, rather than guns. A couple of the men on the rooftop dropped thanks to Knight McGee and one of the Minutemen who carried a Sniper Rifle. They regrouped at the entrance.

_To always come and rescue us,_

"Okay, when you walk in, there's a ramp to the left and the right. You two--" she pointed at two of her minutemen. "Go left, and you two, go right. The Elder, Knight Wilson and I will go for the foundry." she murmured. "Be careful Ma'am, Elder." one of the Minutemen advised, and they nodded, lining up in front of the doors. Arthur took the middle, and the two pairs of minutemen burst through the doors, splitting apart as Nora and Knight Wilson followed Arthur in. His Gatling Laser cut down two men standing by the far door, having a cigarette. "We need to get into the catwalks!" Nora told him, and he glanced up, then swung his gun, forcing another raider back behind cover. "Knight! Cover us! Nora, go!" he barked, and she ran, using her small size and speed to duck behind the heavy loaders and ancient vats as she darted across the foundry floor, and up a flight of stairs.

_Feet off the ground,_

She fired two fast rounds into a raider's chest, then shoved his partner over the railing. She fell with a scream that ended abruptly, and ahead of her on the ramp, another raider lifted a gun, only for his head to explode, spattering Nora with blood. Knight Wilson was also a very good shot with his combat rifle. She heard the thudding of Arthur's heavier steps as he came up the stairs behind her, and covered her as she darted across ancient sheets of plywood and two-by-fours, even as the sound of gunfire began to dwindle. When she reached the next set of doors into the Foundry itself, she halted at the corner, and looked back. Arthur was right behind her, so she ran for the door, grabbing the handle. "I'll leave this open behind me. Stay out of sight." she ordered. He caught her behind the neck, and leaned don to give her a hard kiss. "Don't get shot." he ordered. "Yes, Elder." she smirked, and opened the door.

_Our hearts become magnetized._

"Ahh...if it isn't Mother herself! I didn't expect you for at least a couple of days." a voice almost purred, and it took her a moment to place it. She froze. "X6-88." she said the Courser's identification number calmly. "Yes. I and several other coursers were able to survive. Acting Department Head Justin Ayo was not so lucky. However, Doctor Secord has stepped in as the Head of the SRB." the dark skinned Synth stated. "Why take a little girl? Why lure me here? Why not just come to me at the Castle? You've heard the radio broadcasts, haven't you?" she asked, and a couple of the other synths shared nervous looks. "They do as they are told because I hve their recall codes." A raspy voice stated, and Nora almost gasped. She had almost liked Alana Secord. She was nearly unrecognizable; half her face was the rap pink of healing burns, and her hair was missing on the same side. Her arm was in a sling, but already, Nora saw she was missing a couple of fingers, and her torso was heavily bandaged underneath her uniform.

_The warmth of the sun_

"Alana--I'm sorry, but I did what I had to do. Shaun was wrong--the Institute was wrong! Holding their recall codes over their heads...you're no better than a slaver." Nora stated. "Drop your weapons. Kick them out the door behind you." A man dressed in a Courser's uniform said quietly, aiming a shotgun at her. Nora looked at him for a moment, then laid her shotgun down, and shoved it out the door with her foot. Then she drew her 10mm, and sent it skittering out after, followed by her rifle. "There's a place for all Synths in the Commonwealth...in the Minutemen or Goodneighbor, or any of our settlements. You don't have to do this. You can be free...be your own people." Nora stated. "Check her!" Alana hissed, and the Courser grabbed her collar, pushing her against the door, patting her down. She his hand on her lower back, where her Combat knife hid under her shirt. He then tugged her away, and turned her around again. "She's clean, Director."

_Is melting the snowflakes_

Nora looked at the Courser, but Alana's whole hand gestured for her to be brought up the ramp, towards the molten vat of steel and god knows what else. "Alana...please. Let the little girl go." Nora asked quietly. The woman glared at her for a moment, then snapped the fingers on her good hand. A synth, not dressed as a courser, ushered a little girl up the ramp. Nora knelt, and caught the little girl. "It's okay, sweetie...I want you to go out the door. Don't stop until you see someone you know." she ordered, and the child nodded. "Is my brother--" she began, and Nora smiled. "Waiting for you at Finch Farm." she assured her, and the child took a few timid steps away, then burst out the door, jumping over the discarded guns, her feet pounding away the only sounds now. Nora got to her feet, her hands by her sides. "Okay. I'm your prisoner. Now what?" she asked simply. Alana gave a grin, but it was twisted to snarl by her burns. "Now, Mother...you get to die."

_Before they hit the ground_

 


End file.
